I was 13 and I was always by my peers known as somewhat of a comedian or class clown. I had until then had a love for writing and telling jokes, but at just around the time of being 13 I felt I needed something more and I had looked nowhere else than to take on the guitar. Everyone always seemed surprised to see me holding one and strumming it.I was not the person they expected to try and be a music star or in some cases a musician.
The first two years I learned only by some private lesson and it is amazing to me to remember the teachers that I had…How good they were and good people they were too. My sophomore year I ended up attending a private school for the arts…Then I really got into some variety of music and in in depth learning and appreciation of a wide variety of music.
I started learning Jazz from old to new, Classical and the influence of the other arts which only enhanced my playing and appreciation of music. It was a very interesting and unique environment.
From that point I was just playing the guitar usually on a daily basis. Learning other peoples songs by ear at times. It was just me, my guitar and an amplifier. I was trying to build on what I had known from before.
I played in a band in High School and another in my first year of College.
And in College there was also additional learning with Theory and History and a well rounded group of classes just almost like the private arts High School. I took a year off and then went back to School and after that I found my first professional or semi-professional Band. That was a great time. The songs were good and almost simple but the vibe and feeling that the members gave made it feel like a professional group. All was going well until one day it just kind of dissolved, and since then I had an aversion to being in a band for a while.I then was getting more into writing music and the recording process, mostly on my own computer.
With the amount of gadgets on the instrument and the amount of different tweaking on the computer it was becoming an obsession. You have tools now that are very similar to the ones in major studios. Though whether one can get that actual sound form their own desktop or laptop I think remains to be experienced. But, some have said it can be done…In any event, if you have time available the process of writing, creating, then recording, and tweaking is an awesome feeling and some times worrisome or exasperating. Though if it is a product that is in any way good then it’s usually worth it.
Here’s to music creation and performance!.